Conveyer



No. 625,2l3. Patented May I6, |899. P. L. SUELL.

CONVEYEH.

(Application med Lun. 5, 1899.)

(Ilo Model.)

MMI 1 fik v IIl' gmnllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE. A

PLEASANT L.'SUELL, OF HORSE CREEK, ALABAMA.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,218, dated May 16, 1899.

Serial No. 701,189. (No model.)

lo (LN, whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that l, PLEASANT L. SUELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Horse Creek, lValker county, State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oonveyers; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to conveyers, and more especially to that type thereof known as endlessg and the object of the same is to produce certain improvements in the manner of supporting the chain and of mounting the buckets or scrapers thereon.

To this end the invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter more fully explained and as shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved con veyer at an incline, showing the use of the Scrapers in a trough. Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the Scrapers. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the chain in uprightposition, showing the use of a bucket in place of the scraper. Fig. 4 shows details of the bucket.

Referring to the said drawings, 1 designates the wheels of the conveyer, each provided with arms 2, notched at 3 at their outer ends and having interposed openings 4 for the reception of the carriers in order to allow the latter to pass without interruption over the wheels.

5 are the links of the chain, which are connected by the pivots 7 between the links, and said links are in pairs at the sides of the chain. ltwillbe clear that the pivotsenterthe notches 3 in the arms of th'e wheels, while the links 5 pass to each side thereof. The wheels are j ournaled in a framework which is not shown, but is capable of being stood upright, as in Fig. 3, inclined'as in Fig. 1, or at any desired angle. XVhen used with the Scrapers described below, a trough 10 is employed and also preferably a guide or track 11, each supported in any suitable manner, and when used with the buckets, also described below, there is a suitable receptacle at thebottom of the conyeyer, from which the buckets take up the l coal, Hour, or whatever load is to be elevated, and another at the top, to which they deliver, all as clear and well known in this art.

Coming now more particularly to my present in vention, l provide Scrapers and buckets, each removably and adj ustably attached to the links of the chain, whereby the conveyer can be used upright or at any desired angle and either scraper or bucket adjusted to do its work properly and eiiiciently. To this eX- tent I use herein the word carrier7 as indicating either a scraper or a bucket, since they are interchangeable one for the other and are adjustable by common means.

The letter S designates, broadly, a scraper of my improved type, comprising a substantially U-shaped body whose arms pass over and astride the links of the chain and whose bottom is of a configuration to lit the trough. In the upper ends of said arms are eyes s, receiving the journals of a small roller s', which when employed stands within the loop ofthe chain and travels downward upon the track 11 to prevent sagging of the return or idle side of the conveyer. Said journals may be stub-shafts, which can be removably seated in said eyes by springing the arms slightly apart, or a through-bolt may pass through said eyes and completely through a central bore in each roller, the idea being that the roller is removable when it is desired to withdraw the scraper from the chain.

The letter B designates, broadly, a bucket of my improved type, comprising a body of any desired size and pattern and legs b, depending from the ends thereof, asseen in Fig. 4. A strap b also preferably extends along the inner edge ofthe mouth of the bucket, which strap is reduced near its ends to form bearings, for a purpose to appear.

Each carrier of either type is attached to one of the links of the chain, preferably by means of pins or stub-shafts P, sprung inward or passed inward through one of a series of holes H in said link,` the pins ou the scraper projecting inward from a rearwardly-extending flange s2 on each arm and those-of thev bucket proj ectinginward from the lower endsf of said legs b. To this extent said flanges and legs are of equal utility, and each may IOO be called the fastening member. It is to be understood that said pins are pivoted in the holes in the link.

Each carrier of either type is braced yto the desired angle by means of a pair of inclined braces I, and each brace is connected at its, inner end with the same link of the chain to which the carrier is attached by means of pins or stub-shafts on the brace entering one of said series of holes I-I in the chain-link. Hence to adj ust'the angle of the carrier all that is necessary is to remove one of these pairs of brace-pins i (by springing them out of the holes if they are stubs or by withdraw'- ing the splitpinsif theyare of the type shown) and reseating them in other holes. The outer ends of the braces I are pivoted to the carriers, to ears s3 of the Scrapers, and to said bearings of strap b of the buckets, and these pivots need not be of the detachable type, since the braces are preferably removed with the carriers. A

Other details may be employed and considerable change made without departing from the spirit of myinvention'. For instance, the legs of the buckets might be continued downward or inward, as seen in Fig. Ll, at B', to receive eyes s and a roller s', as on vthe scraper and for the same purpose, though as the chain is usually upright when the bucketsv are employed this may not be necessary. Obviously the size, shapes, materials, and proportions of parts are immaterial, to which end, if buckets wider than the chain be employed, their legs and braces will be bent inward, so as to bring their inner ends into contact with the outer faces of the chain-links.

It Will be unnecessary to amplify the uses of the machine, since endless conveyers are` now so commonlyemployed in the arts. The especial advantages claimed for this device are that the scrapers and buckets are removable and interchangeable Without necessarily removing the chain from its wheels, and also that even whilein place the position or angle of any carrier can be adjusted in a few moments time and Without the use of tools.

t Vhat I claim as new is l. In a conveyer, the combination with a moving chain; of a carrier pivoted directly thereto, and braces each pivoted at one end to the carrier and ad justably and detachably pivoted at its other end to the chain, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Ina conveyer, the combination with a moving chain; of carriers each` pivoted directly to one link of the chain, and braces pivoted to said carrier and adjustably connected to the same link, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a conveyer, the combination with a moving chain whereof certain links have a series of holesin theirbodies; of carriers each having inwardly-projecting attaching-pins in its body, and braces for each carrier pivoted at one end thereto and having at their other ends inwardly-projecting pins, such pins removably entering the holes in a single link, as and for the purpose set forth.

4c. In a conveyer, the combination with a. chain comprising pivoted links in pairs with alined holes through its members; of carriers Wider than the chain, fastening members on each carrier bent inward against the outer faces of said link members, pins through said fastening members and removably entering alined holes in the link, braces pivoted to each carrier with their ends also contacting with the faces of said link members, and pins in such ends also removably entering another pair of alined holes, all as and for the purpose setforth.

5. In a conveyer, the combination with an endless chain whereof each link is composed of separated members with a series of alined.

holes therethrough, and a guide within the idle side of said chain; of a trough adjacent the workin g side of the chain, Scrapers whose active faces coact with said trough and whose bodiesare of U shape with their legs astride the links, flanges on said legs adjustably connected with a pair of said holes, eyes in the inner ends of the legs, and a roller removably journaled in said eyes and coactngwith said guide, substantially as described.

G. In a conveyer, the combination with an composed of separated members with series of alined holes therethrough, and a trough beneath said chain; of Scrapers having U- shaped bodies whose active faces coact with vsaid trough and whose arms stand astride the links, a flange on each leg, an inwardly-projecting pin in the flange removably entering'. one ofsaid holes,braces pivoted to thescraper, and pins at their remote ends removably entering another of saidholes, all substantially as hereinbefore described. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this 3d day of January, A. D. 1899. 1

PLEASANT L. SUELL.

lVitnesses:

NV. T. FLEMING, G. S. CUNNINGHAM.

Aupwardly-moving chain whereof the links are IOO 

